


Never Let Go

by Vialana



Series: Hope [10]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 15:49:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11877774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vialana/pseuds/Vialana
Summary: Lance won’t let Keith avoid him any longer. The universe interrupts. Again.





	Never Let Go

**Author's Note:**

> *throws confetti* Enjoy!

Lance told himself that he needed to be patient. He’d dumped a bombshell on Keith back in the Galra base and clearly Keith needed time to process. That was fine. That meant that Lance meant  _ something  _ to Keith—enough that Keith needed to step back and think about his emotions and actions and not just react by punching Lance in the face or scream at him or anything else he might do without thinking.

At least he didn’t run off in Red or something else that stupid. Keith had been getting better with not running and pulling away. Sitting in Red and brooding was much easier to deal with.

Despite what he told himself, though, Lance woke early the day after he was released from the healing pod and stationed himself outside Keith’s door and waited. A day was enough time for thinking right? And there were a few days Lance had been in to pod too. Yeah, Lance wasn’t being too pushy.

Right?

Keith’s door slid open to reveal the exhausted red paladin. He looked up and met Lance’s hopeful gaze opposite his door and froze as he stepped out into the hallway. The door hissed as it slid closed behind him. Neither paladin noticed, too intent on staring at each other.

Lance stepped forward. Keith flinched. Lance stepped back. He broke their stare, looking away down the empty corridor. He stopped breathing momentarily, gut churning as his heart stuttered at the negative reaction to his presence.

This was a terrible idea.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Keith open his mouth and stop. Keith mimicked Lance and looked away down the same corridor. They both stared in the direction that led to the hangers, the kitchen, the control room,  _ away _ from this place and moment and awkward confrontation.

But Lance had come here with a purpose and he couldn’t leave things as they were.

“Just …” Lance’s voice faltered on the words and he cleared his throat. Keith’s head snapped back in his direction and Lance hunched into himself, staring at the floor. He only had enough courage to say the words. He couldn’t meet Keith’s dark gaze again. “Just tell me you don’t hate me,” he begged.

Keith’s eyes widened and he let out an involuntary gasp. Lance’s eyes flickered up to meet his startled gaze for an instant before dropping back down.

“Lance.” Keith’s voice was hoarse and Lance’s heart stuttered again at the sound of his name. “I’ve never hated you.” He said it with the same conviction that he used in battle. “I don’t think I ever could.”

Lance’s breath caught again at the words, this time for a completely different reason. Warmth—hope—filled his chest. He looked up. Keith’s face was red but his gaze was steady and full of fire as he stared at Lance.

“Keith, I——”

An alarm rang out, interrupting Lance and causing both of them to jump and stare at the ceiling.

“Paladins!” Allura’s voice was firm as she called out over the intercom. “Get to your Lions. Galra are attacking a convoy. We must assist.”

Keith and Lance stared at each other one last time, promising without words to finish the conversation once their mission was complete. They turned in unison towards their Lions and their duty as Paladins of Voltron.

 

* * *

 

Keith was both glad and frustrated that his conversation with Lance that morning had been interrupted. He hadn’t expected to see his team mate so soon but perhaps he should have expected it. Lance had woken up the day before and, despite the promise Keith made to himself to be there when he did, he found himself in his Lion avoiding everyone and trying not to panic. But Lance had never been one to back down and this tension between them was probably making him frantic. Lance hated inaction almost as much as Keith did.

Everything was about to change and Keith didn’t know if he was ready to face it.

But battle, that was something he was always ready for. Flying was easy—it felt so natural. Sinking into his seat in Red, fingers curled around her controls, slicing through Galra drone ships, saving civilians. Keith was absolutely certain he had been born for this. Nothing in his life had felt so real and right until he’d been named a paladin. His Lion, Voltron, this team, Allura, Coran, Pidge, Hunk.

Shiro.

_ Lance. _

This moment, fighting alongside the Blue paladin—Lance—pushing back the Galra, hearing the encouragement of his team in his helmet earpiece. It was as close to perfect as he could imagine.

Lance’s face popped up on the screen as soon as the Galra started to retreat from battle. He was whooping, eyes bright with victory and glee. Keith couldn’t help the grin he sent in return as soon as he saw Lance’s face. He relished sharing this moment of triumph with Lance, seeing his joy and pride, feeling his own happiness and pride warm in his chest to match his team mate's.

He wanted to share so many more moments like this with Lance. He wanted to share other moments too: quiet moments, content moments, moments full of laughter, even the frustrating and angry moments because he knew that they would always fade—moments like this or the moment in the corridor when their eyes met before the alarms would always return and wash away the negativity of the times when he snapped and Lance sneered and they pushed at each other to get a reaction.

Keith had known after that kiss, when he saw Lance in the healing pod. He’d already made his decision, his mind just needed to catch up to his heart.

“Lance,” he said, interrupting the cheering and drawing the other paladin’s gaze back to him. Everything he wanted to say was hidden in the tone of his voice as he said Lance’s name.

Lance’s eyes widened as Keith spoke. He understood. Keith hoped he understood.

“I’ll see you back at the castle,” Lance said. His smile was soft. His blue eyes were still so bright.

Keith nodded, unable to look away from the image of Lance until the viewscreen closed and he saw the Blue Lion turn back towards the castle.

Keith let out a heavy breath and guided Red to follow.

 

* * *

 

Lance barely waited until Blue set down in her hanger to race out towards Red’s hanger, pulling off his helmet as he rushed through the corridors. He could barely think straight: thoughts of the battle, Keith’s voice, that smile—the hope—all rushing through his mind jumbled up and repeating. Keith calling his name in time with the beating of his heart. Lance. Lance.  _ Lance _ .

He needed to know.

He had to slow down as he approached the closed doors to Red’s hanger, bouncing impatiently as they slowly opened.

Red sat in the middle of the room, leaning down to let Keith jump down from her mouth. He was looking over at the door—at Lance.

Lance stopped, hesitating just past the threshold.

What if he was wrong? What if he was just imagining everything? What if …?

Keith pulled off his own helmet as he ran over to meet Lance. He dropped it at Lance’s feet and used his free hands to grab Lance by the shoulders and pull him close for a hot, sweat-slicked kiss.

They were both still hyped from the battle, skin warm and sensitive. Every sense was on alert, adrenaline rushing through their veins. The slide of Keith’s lips against Lance’s sparked a deep throbbing heat inside him. This was … 

Keith pulled back so suddenly that Lance stumbled, blinking his eyes open and gaping at the unexpected loss of heat and sensation.

“Please tell me that kiss back on the base wasn’t just some kind of bucket list item or something. Like going out with a bang, or a ‘what the hell, might as well kiss Keith before I die’.”

Keith was shaking. His voice came out rushed and high-pitched. Aside from the spots of red high on his cheeks his skin was pale. He was staring at Lance with wide eyes, as though Lance held his heart in his hands.

_ Oh. _

Lance smiled, all his previous nerves gone. He reached out to slide his hand against Keith’s cheek, just like he had on the Galra base. But they weren’t in danger this time, no alarms blared, Lance wasn’t bleeding. He wished they weren’t still in uniform. He wanted to feel Keith’s skin against his.

Keith leaned into the touch with a gentle sigh, eyelashes fluttering and breath slowing.

“I really like you,” Lance said. His voice was sure and steady and full of love he was certain Keith could feel. “A lot.”

“Oh.” Keith laughed, a tiny breathless thing that lit up his face. “Same.”

Lance laughed himself, feeling so ridiculously light and happy. He couldn’t help but lean in and kiss Keith again. Keith pushed into the kiss, his own hands sliding up Lance’s shoulders to cup his neck, thumbs brushing Lance’s cheeks.

It was a perfect moment. Lance wanted the rest of his life to be full of similar perfect moments with Keith.

Of course Pidge had to interrupt and ruin it.

_ “Just so you two know, the rest of us are on the bridge ready to debrief. You know, as soon as you two are finished  _ debriefing _.” _

_ “Nice one Pidge.” _ Hunk could be heard giving her a high-five.

Lance pulled away from the kiss, leaning his head on Keith’s shoulder with a groan. “I hate them so much.”

Keith pulled him close, arms sliding to rest around Lance’s shoulders in a loose embrace. “No you don’t.”

Lance snuggled closer, nuzzling into the crook of Keith’s neck as he placed his hands on Keith’s hips. “No, I don’t. But I don’t like them very much right now. You’re definitely my favourite.”

Keith leaned his head against Lance’s, so tentative, like he couldn’t believe this was real. “You’re mine too.” He huffed, warm breath making the back of Lance’s neck tingle with his proximity and the intimacy of their embrace. Lance could just picture the smirk he was making as he spoke. “At least until Hunk makes those Cycari pastries again.”

Lance pulled himself up to his full height and leaned back against Keith’s arms. “Betrayal!”

Keith  _ was  _ smirking. “Priorities, Lance. Like you wouldn't drop me instantly for some of those Finnix fruit tarts.”

Lance pouted. Keith had him there. He sighed and stepped back, breaking Keith’s hold and letting his hands fall from Keith’s waist. “Guess we should go report in.” He reached out, offering his hand for Keith to take. His heart was beating so hard he could feel it in his tongue.

Keith stared at the offered hand for only a moment before sliding his hand into Lance’s grip and squeezing. “Yeah.” His smile was breathtaking. “Let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> squeeing is welcome in comments or on my tumblr: [ladyvialana](https://ladyvialana.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Also, just so everyone knows, there's one more planned story in this series, a sort of epilogue. Fingers crossed, it should be posted soon.


End file.
